Commissions

I have been fortunate enough to have been asked to sculpt several pieces on commission. These have included an Elk, a Moose and a Mongolian Argali sheep. Also a Red Stag at the Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest, Illinois. In 2013 Safari Club International commissioned me to sculpt a Norman Rhino to be presented to the Hall of Fame award winner. Another commission was a special piece for an award with an edition of 50, to be given once a year to one person who best exemplifies Courage and Perseverance. Some examples below; click / tap on the images for more views.

Lady Justice

My good friend Walter Bundy dropped one on me when he asked me to sculpt his interpretation of the Goddess or Lady of Justice. If you study a picture of the Lady of Justice you will see a slender blind folded lady holding the scales of justice in her right hand and a double edged sword in her left hand. She is depicted standing on a large book and her left foot is placed on the head of a snake. I am told by Walter that the statue depicts the fact that Justice is blind… read more

Lady Justice

Walter is a Lawyer and I think has an interesting hidden agenda in that he said he wanted her to be riding on a Shark and she must be able to see out of one eye because the blind fold has slipped. That was my brief, so I had a look at a picture of that ancient and venerable piece of art and was given free rein to re-invent The Lady. Here she is on her Shark one boob is hanging out the blind fold has slipped she has cut the head off the snake with the double edged sword and is about to put the head onto the scales which is going to seriously mess with some poor individual who is expecting to be treated fairly by rules of the law. Poor chap! The Book lies in the sand completely discarded. Thank you Walter I really enjoyed digging around in your head.

Mountain Monarch

I doubt that I would have ever sculpted a Moose if I had not have been commissioned to do this animal. Having little or no knowledge of the moose, I discovered that it has a very interesting mouth and nostrils. I conclude that this is due to its feeding habits whereby it apparently likes to feed on aquatic plants below the surface water in the lakes and ponds that it frequents. I can only hope that you enjoy my attempt to recreate this huge, iconic animal.

Fighting Talk

How about this one! I was pretty certain in my mind that I would never sculpt an Elk let alone a bugling Elk. Along come two very nice folks at SEWE in Charleston and they bought ‘Mountain Monarch’. “BUT please sculpt an Elk, a bugling Elk!” So what did I do? Why, I sculpted an Elk, a bugling Elk. I really hope you enjoy him because I had a wonderful time sculpting this wonderful North American animal. Never say never!

Mongolian Argali

I found myself in unknown territory when I took on the sculpting of the Mongolian Argali. When doing animals that are not familiar to me I find myself trying to come to terms with the incredibly harsh environment in which they live. Here then is the Argali as I depict him with his massive coat of quills and in admiration of his ability to live in harsh terrain at high altitudes.

Red Stag

I spent a good chunk of 2015 sculpting a life-size red stag and an accompanying bust. The stag now has pride of place in the Deer Path Inn garden and the bust hangs in the English Room. A visit is highly recommended – a stunning setting, excellent cuisine and top-level service. Many thanks to the team at the Inn for their support and enthusiasm for the project.

There have been a few others, and I find the challenge of doing these exclusive pieces very rewarding. That sometimes the subject matter requires me to step out of my comfort zone is all for the better. I must track down images, but it’s also worth mentioning a Longhorn Bull called ‘Jake’ for its owner, an Andalusian Shepherd for a dog judge and owner of that breed, plus a medallion I was commissioned to sculpt for the International Professional Hunters Association titled ‘The Klineburger Award’ which is to be awarded annually to an individual deemed by the association to be deserving of such an award for services rendered to the hunting fraternity.

Future Work

I am always interested to look at any ideas you may have for a commissioned piece. Come and have a chat at one of the shows or get in touch with me directly.